Device for educational, amusement, or other purposes.



No. 771,394. PATENTED 0014, 1904.

W. H. ROBERTSON. k

DEVICE FOR EDUCATIONAL, AMUSEMENT, OR OTHER PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1902.

N0 MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

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No. 771,394. PATENTED OUT. 4, 1904. W. H. ROBERTSON.

DEVICE FOR EDUCATIONAL, AMUSEMENT, OR OTHER PURPOSES.

- APPLIOATION FILED APR. 29, 1902. no MODEL. 6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Red Oran e No. 771,394. PATENTED 0014, 1904. W. H. ROBERTSON.

DEVICE FOR EDUCATIONAL, AMUSEMENT, OR OTHER PURPOSES.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 29, 1902. N0 MODEL.

' 6 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

PATENTED OUT. 4, 1904.

W. H. ROBERTSON. DEVICE FOR EDUCATIONAL, AMUSEMENT, OR OTHER PURPOSES.

APPLIOATION FILED APR. 29, 1902.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

N0 MODEL.

No. 771,394. PATENTED OCT. 4, 1904. W. H. ROBERTSON.

DEVICE FOR EDUCATIONAL, AMUSEMENT, OR OTHER PURPOSES. APPLICATIONFILBDAPR. 29, 1902. N0 MODEL. 6 SHEETSSHEET a M NVENTOR Alforncg No.771,394. PATENTED OCT. :4, 1904. W. H. ROBERTSON.

DEVICE FOR EDUCATIONAL, AMUSEMENT, OR OTHER PURPOSES. APPLICATION FILEDAPR. 29, 1902.

NO MODEL. 6 SHEETSSHEET 6.

v [NVENTOA WITNESSES: WM

' Af/omey nl'uVnmArllllIfl w nu L m: nu u w o cross orintersect eachother, and thus the UNITED STATES Patented. October 4, 1904.

PATENT OEEIcE.

WILLIAM H. ROBERTSON, OF AUSTIN, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE AS-SIGNMENTS, OF ONE-FOURTH TO WILLIAM G. HENDERSON, OF WVASH- INGTON,DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, AND ARITHMO-GAME BOARD COM- PANY, A CORPORATION OFMISSOURI.

DEVICE FOR EDUCATIONAL, AMUSEMENT, OR OTHER PURPOSES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 771,394, dated October4, 1904-.

Application filed April 29, 1902.

To rtZL LU/ZIO77Z/ it nuty concern.-

Be it known that LWVILLIAM H. ROBERTSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Austin, in the county of Travis and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Devices for Educational,Amusement, or other Purposes; and I do declare the following to beafull, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as willenable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to a device designed for educational and amusementand calculating purposes; and it contemplates employment of a number ofslides arranged to operate at an angle to each other, so that when twoslides are moved one at an angle to the other and arranged to intersecteach other there will be exhibited at the point of intersection acharacter, which may be a numeral, a letter, or other character orsymbol, that may be placed at the point of display. If it be themultiplication-table that is to be taught or a calculation made, thenumerals will be so placed that when any two slides intersecting orcrossing each other are moved there will be displayed at the point ofintersection the product of the two numerals applied to designate thetwo intersecting slides. On the other hand, if the instruction is torelate to colors certain of the slides, or rather their operating-keys,will be designated by the primary colors, including white and black, andat the point where two slides intersect or cross each other will beplaced the color formed by combining the two colors which designate thetwo keys depressed, so that at the point of intersection will bedisplayed the color formed by mixing the two colors whose keys actuatethe two slides which child may be instructed concerning the combinationof colors. Again, if any particular game is to be played involving theexhibition of a character or symbol or device devices the movement ofany two particj /ar slides Serial No. 105,167. (No model.)

crossing or intersecting each other will display at the point ofintersection or crossing of the slides the particular character, symbol,or device located at that point, and there may be as many characters,symbols, or devices as there are points of intersection of the differentslides employed, and by moving any number of the slides intersectingeach other there may be exposed to view as many difierent characters,symbols, or devices as there are intersecting points of display, so thatdifierent configurations may be formed and exhibited, according as agreater or less number of the intersecting slides are moved to expose toview different points of display. It will therefore be perceived thatthe device is susceptible of use for a variety of games for eithereducationalor amusement purposes, and there may be very manymodifications or variations in the arrangement and manipulation of theslides all embraced within the scope of my invention.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and such other objects as mayhereinafter appear the invention consists in a device or gameboardembodying features which will be hereinafter particularly described andthen sought to be clearly defined by the claims, reference being had tothe accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof, and in which Figure 1is an end elevation of one form of the device. Fig. 2 is a verticalcross-section of the same. Fig. 3 is a plan of the same. Fig. 4c is aplan of the back board or plate'of Fig. 2, showing the arrangement ofthe slides. Fig. 5 is a horizontal cross-section through Fig. 2. Fig. 6is a plan of a modified form with a portion of the front face brokenaway. Fig. 7 is an end elevation of Fig. 6. Fig. 8 is a verticalcross-section of Fig. 6. Fig. 9 is a plan view of another modificationwith the front plate removed. Fig. 10 is a plan of another modificationwith the front plate removed. Fig. 11 is a plan of another modificationwith the front plate removed. Fig. 12 is a detail plan showing manner ofconnecting the operating-keys to the slides under the form illustratedin Fig. 10. Fig.

13 is a diagrammatic view of another modification. Fig. 14 is a plan ofanother modification with the face plate removed. Fig. 15 is a detail ofone pair of the slides of Fig. 14, showing the manner of connecting thesame to the operating lever; and Fig. 16 is a view of one of thelever-springs employed in connection with the form illustrated in Fig.14.

One form of the invention consists of a number of slides A, formed withscallop-shaped edges andarranged in diagonal lines, (see Figs. 4, 6, and9,) with some of the slides crossing the others, the circular portionsof one set of slides lying over the circular portions of another set ofslides, thus leaving circularshaped openings between the several slides,the boundary-lines of such openings being formed by the edges of theslides, as illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings. Certain of theseslides are shown as having two members which are connected together, forinstance, by necks at the points a, Z), 0, and (Z, and others are shownas having two members connected together, for instance, by necks at thepoints 6,1", g, and it, which last-mentioned necks may be extended moreor less, so as to have oper ating-keys, hereinafter described, connectedtherewith, while two of the slides are shown as having only one membereach, said two slides being formed one with an extension t' and theother with an extension 3' to have connected therewith two of theoperating-keys to be described hereinafter. These several slides lieover a board or back B and are connected therewith by suitable meanswhich will serve. to guide the slides in their movement, a simple meansfor the purpose being afforded by slits 0, formed in the back board, andby bending a portion of each slide so as to form a flange which will fitwithin the proper slit and work therein in the movement of the slides,although any other suitable means for the purpose may be employed. Theslides and the back board may be made of metal or other suitablematerial. In this form of the device the back board will be formed witha number of openings D, which will lie immediately back of the circularportions of the slides when the slides are in their normal positions,said openings at such time being concealed by the circular portions ofthe slides. l/Vhen, however, any two of the slides which cross eachother are moved, they will uncover the opening at the point where thetwo slides in their normal position cross or intersect each other andexpose to view the opening in the I back board at that point or whateverobject may have been placed in the opening at such point. It will beobserved that under the arrangement of slides illustrated in Fig. 4 theywill move in a straight path, although in oblique lines.

The back board, with its slides, in this form a single piece of metal orother material bent into shape so at to form a backing E and aface-plate F, between which backing and faceplate the back board, withits slides, will lit, and thus be inclosed within the casing thusformed, the back board being held to the casing by pins or rivetsapplied at appropriate points. The face-plate F will be formed withopenings G, which will register with the circular portions of the slidesA in their normal position, so that when the slides are moved to exposethe openings in the back board said openings or what they may containmay be observed through the openings in the faceplate F.

Theslid esA will be moved by suitable means provided for that purpose.For this purpose I prefer to use a number of keys, which in thisinstance are numbered from 1 to 9 and one of them with the character E1,the keys 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and El being connected with the slides havingthe extensions 71, e, f, g, h, and respectively, and the keys 3, 5, 7,and 9 being connected with the slides having extensions c, b, 0, and (Z,respectively, so that upon depressing one or more of the keys the slideswith which they are respectively connected will be moved. These keysWill be connected each with a lever of any suitable construction'whichwill join the key to its appropriate slide to move the latter, thelevers being suitably fulcrumed, and a suitable spring will be applied,so that each lever and its connected slides will be restored to theirnormal positions. A lever suitable for the purpose consists of an arm H,loosely fulcrumed on a rod I, supported in a front compartment J of thecasing which incloses the slides and its back board, the lever lyinginside of said compartment, and a suitable spring K is provided forrestoring and retaining each lever and its connected slide in theirnormal position. The free end of each lever is connected with itsappropriate slide by having the reduced end Zof the lever enter a slotm, formed in the extension of its appropriate slide-for instance, thelevers for the keys 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, and III will enter the slots formedin the extensions 6, e, f, g, it, and respectively, while the levers forthe keys 3, 5, 7, and 9 will enter slots a, formed in the lower ends ofthe rods L, one rod being provided for each of said mentionedkey-leverswhich rods at their upper ends are extended laterally, asindicated in Fig. 4 of the drawings, and their points connected with thenecks a, b, c, and (Z, respectively, so that when said rods are drawndown by the key-levers the slides with which they are connected asspecified will be moved. The rods L lie to the rear of the back board Band will fit in grooves or depressions 0, formed in the back plate E ofthe inclosing casing, so that the grooves of the invention will beinclosed in a suitable will form guides for said rods, and the rodscasing, which may, if preferred, be formed of l at the points where theyconnect with the necks a, 7), 0, and (Z will be bent upwardly, so as topass through the back board and unite with the necks of the slides onthe face side of the back board. The back board B at the points wherethe free ends of the key-levers pass through the same is formed withslots 1) for the free ends of the levers to work in, and at the pointswhere the ends of the rods L connect with the slides is formed withslots (1 for the bent, portions of the rods to work in in moving theslides, and the portion of the back plate of the casing for the spacetraversed by the lateral portions of the rods in moving their slides maybe slightly swelled outwardly, as indicated at q, to permit the freemovement of the lateral portions of the rods between the back board andthe back plate of the casing.

The arrangement of the rods L and their connection with the slides andwith the keylevers described is given merely as an illustration of asuitable arrangement of parts for the purposes mentioned; but changescan be made therein without departing from the invention. The shank ofeach key passes through the top of the lower front compartment J of theinclosing casing and at its lower end is pivotally connected to itslever, so that when the key is depressed it may be tilted slightly forthe purpose of permitting a notch 9', formed in the edge of its shank,to engage with the edge of the opening through which the shank passesfor the purpose .of holding down the lever and the slide with which itconnects against the influence of the spring employed to restore theparts to their normal position when so desired, a very slight deflectionof the key-shank serving to engage or disengage the catch thus formed.

The casing may be formed with a rear compartment M, provided with ahinged cover N and adapted to hold disks or buttons adapted to fit inthe openings made in the back board, upon which disks or buttons may beimprinted the numerals, letters, or other characters designed for use inconnection with the board in its use for educational or amusementpurposes.

The letter O designates a partition between the button-compartment andthe portion of the casing in which the operating key-levers and lowerends of the slides and rods operate, which partition may be acontinuation of the back plate of the casing.

In operation, assuming that the board is to be used for teaching themultiplication-table or for calculating purposes, there will be placedin each one of the circular openings of the back board a numeral ornumerals which is the product of any two of the'numerals employed todesignate the several keys, the prodnot being placed in the opening atthe point where two of the slides cross each other and from over whichopening the circular portion of the two slides covering that particularopening will move when the two keys are depressed whose numeralsmultiplied one by the other will give the product to be exposed to viewin the opening from over which their two slides are moved. For instance,suppose that the keys designated by the numerals 1 and 9 both bedepressed. The slide with which the key No. 1 connects will be drawndown and the slide with which the key 9 is connected through its rod Lwill be drawn down, so that at the point where the two slides thus movedcross each other, which, it will be observed, is at the upper right-handcorner of the board, there will be exposed to view through the openingin the front plate the numeral 9, the two slides having moved away fromthe opening in the back board, so as to expose the product of the twonumbers applied at that point. Again, suppose that the keys designatedby the numerals 9-and 7 be depressed. The two slides withwhich theyconnect by the rods L will at the point where the slides cross eachotherbe moved downward, so as to uncover the opening over which thecircular portions of the two slides normally lie, and there will beexposed to view through the opening in the face-plate the numeral 63,which is the product of the two numerals 7 and i 9, the point ofexposure being at the top of the board and just to the right of thecenter, that being the point where the two slides cross each other intheir normal position. Again, suppose that the keys designated by thenumerals 2 and L be depressed. In this case the slides to which thesekeys are connected will be moved downward, and at the point where theycross each other, which in this instance is at the bottom of the boardand just to the left of the center, there will be exposed the numeral 8,the same being the product of the two numerals whose keys weredepressed. Again, suppose that you want to multiply a number by itself,in which event you would depress the key designated by the numeral to bemultiplied by itself, and at the same time depress the key bearing thecharacter [1 and for the product you would find the square of thenumeral displayed in the opening from over which was moved the twoslides which crossed each other. For illustration, press the key havingthe numeral a and at the same time depress the key bearing the characterU and you will have exposed the numeral l6 at the point where the twoslides normally cross each other, which in the arrangement of slidesshown in the third row from the bottom and just right of the center ofthe board. Again, suppose that the numeral 9 is to be multiplied byitself. You depress the key 9 and at the same time the key bearing thecharacter El and there will be exhibited to view the numeral 81, whichisthe so uare of 9 and it will appear at the point where the two slidesactuated by the two keys cross each other, which in the arrangementshown will be in the fourth row from the top of the board and just tothe left of the center. Under the construction and arrangement of theslides so far illustrated when the two keys 2 and 9, or L and 7, or 6and 5, or 8 and 3 are depressed the product of any two of suchcombinations will appear at the same time at two places, one place ofappearance being at the extreme right-hand vertical column of openingsand the other at the extreme left-hand vertical column of openings, andwhile this double appearance will cause no inconvenience, yet if it bedesired to avoid the same the numerals can be omitted from either theright or the left hand vertical column, so that the appearance will beonly in one of said two columns.

To adapt the board for color instruction, either the keys or the basethrough which the shanks of the keys pass will be indicated by aseparate color for each key applied either to the key or to the base atthe point of location of the key. For instance, the keys 2, 8, l, 5. 6,7, and 8 will have the principal colors red, orange, yellow, green,blue, violet, and black applied, respectively, thereto, while the key 9will be white and key 1 without any colorindication marking and also thekey designated by the character El, and disks or buttons, one for eachof the circular openings in the back board and each of a different colorand corresponding, respectively, to the several principal colorsmentioned and the colors formed by combining any two of the principalcolors mentioned, will be placed in the several openings at. the pointswhere the openings will be uncovered by depressing any two keys, so toexpose to view at that point the color produced by combining the colorsdesignated by the two keys depressed. For illustration, suppose that thekeys 2 and 3, designating, respectively, red and orange, are depressed.There will be exposed to view a button or disk of a red-orange color atthe opening uncovered by the two slides actuated by the keys andcrossing each other. Again, suppose that the keys 4 and 6, designatingyellow and blue, respectively, be depressed.

There will be exposed to view at the opening where the two slidesactuated by those keys cross each other a disk or button of a greencolor, which is the color produced by combining yellow and blue. Again,suppose that the keys 6 and 8, designating blue and black, respectively,be depressed. There will be exhibited to view at the point where the twoslides actuated by those keys cross each other adisk or button of adark-blue color,which is formed by combining blue and black. Again,suppose that the keys 1 and 2, the key 1 being colorless and the key 2designating red, be depressed. There will be exhibited at the pointwhere their two slides cross each other a disk or button red in color.Again, suppose that the keys 8 and 9, the former designating black andthe other white, be depressed. There will be exhibited at the pointwhere their slides cross each other a button gray in color, which isformed by mixing white and black, and so throughout the entire number ofopenings exposed to view by depressing any two of the keys there will beexhibited at the point where the slides actuated by any two of the keyscross each other a button of the color formed by mixing the two colorsrepresented by the two keys depressed. The key 1 and the key C] willeach represent no color, and hence when a key bearing a color and thekey III are depressed the color represented by the colored key willappear at the point where the keyslides actuated by the two keys crosseach other, because the color will be added to itself, and hence thecolor of the key will appear, and so when the key 1 is depressed and anyone of the keys representing a color is depressed there will beexhibited at the point of crossing of the two slides simply the colorrepresented by the colored key. For convenience in placing the buttonsrepresenting the dili'erent colors or shades produced by combiningcertain colors by persons familiar with the mixing of colors eachcircular opening in the face-plate where a certain color should beexhibited by combining any two colors may be lettered with the name ofthe color, and the button to be placed in its proper opening may belettered as well as colored, so as to indicate to the uninformed theproper position for the color to be produced by combining-any twocolors.

In Figs. 6 to 8 of the drawings I have illustrated a form of theinvention in which the board is flat instead of upright, as in the formfirst described. In the flat-board form the letter B designates the backboard or plate, and the letter A designates the slides, certain of theslides having their members connected together in pairs at one edge ofthe board by the necks a, b, a, and d, respectively, and other slideshaving their members connected together in pairs at the opposite edge ofthe board or plate by the necks e, f, g, and it, respectively, and oneslide at that edge of the board will have a neck y", while another slidewill have a neck 2" at the opposite edge of the board, said severalnecks being provided for connection of operating-keys therewith formoving the slides. These slides will each have a portion bent so as toform a flange, and the back board will be formed with slits C in whichthe bent portions of the slides will fit, so that the slides may beguided in their movement, and the board will be formed with openings D,lying beneath the circular portions of the slides, for the same purposeas in the first form described. A face-plate F will lie over the slidesA and will be provided with a series of openings G corresponding withthe openings D in the back board, and a suitable casing or covering maybe provided and formed with compartments J at opposite sides of the ithat when a key is depressed the slide connected thereto will be moved,and when the key is released the spring will restore the slide to itsnormal position. In this form when it is desired to expose to view oneof the openings in the back board, it is necessary to'depress one of thekeys in each of the two rows of keys, which will have the effect ofmoving the two slides connected to the two keys depressed and uncoveringthe opening in the back board at the point where the two slides thusmoved intersect or normally cross each other, and it will thus beobserved that the principle of construction and operation of this formis similar to that in the other forms previously described. Each ofthese two sets of keys will be journaled in like manner as the other,and Fig. 12 illustrates both. If instead of employing two rows ofoperating-keys and connecting them to the slides as described, one ofthe rows of keys should be omitted and the other row should be connectedwith the slides along the dotted line :2 or, (see Fig. 13,) the slidesbeing connected together in pairs at the point where the links 15,leading from the operating-keys, are connected with the slides, so thattwo slides will constitute practically a slide of two members and bemoved upon depressing any particular key. The effect would be to exposeto view upon depressing two keys at every point where the slides thusmoved crossed each other one of the openings in the back board, and asunder this arrangement the moving slides cross each other at fourdifferent points, one point above the dotted line, one below the dottedline, and two on the line, there would be four of the openings in theback board exposed to view, and the points thus exposed to view wouldpresent symmetrical figures, the point of exposure above the dotted linecorresponding in position to the point ex-v posed below the dotted line.In this way a large number of symmetrical figures or designs can beproduced by manipulation of the operating-keys. This, in effect, iscombining two of the triangular forms shown in Fig. 9 and forms asquare. In Fig. 13 the operating-keys are journaled on the shaft I andunder the infiuence of springs K Again, if the portions of the slideslying on one side of the dotted line or should be omitted and the keysbe connected to the slides along the line 03 m as they are shownconnected in Fig. 9, so that the slides would be moved in pairs by eachkey depressed, you would obtain substantially the arrangement andoperation of slides hereinbefore described for the triangular form ofthe device.

In another form of the invention the slides A may be formed withstraight edges and arranged to cross each other, as illustrated in Fig.11, which is one arrangement of said form of slides sufficient toillustrate the invention. In this form the slides will have bentportions fitting in slits C of the back board or plate 13",

so as to be guided in oblique lines when moved by the operating-keys,which are illustrated as arranged in two rows along adjacent edges ofthe'board, said keys being connected to the, slides by links H".

It will be observed that in striking any two keys, one in each row, atleast two of the slides will be moved, and at the point where said twoslides normally cross each other there will be exposed to View whateverobject may be placed beneath the two slides at that point, and so itwill be throughout the entire number of slides attheir ii1tersectingpoints whenever any two of the keys, one in each row, are depressed.

In Fig. 14 is illustrated another form of the invention in which theslides are straight edged and formed with perforations through which toview the objects to be displayed, said objects being either on or in theback board or plate or placed in the perforations of the underneathslides or slide members. In this form the letter B designates the backboard or plate,

over which is placed the series of slides A I which are formed withslots 0 to receive pins (not shown) which may project from the backplate or other part, so as to guide the slides in their movement.

The slides are made up of members arranged in pairs (in this instanceeach member of the slide being separate from the other) and connectedtogether and to the operating-lever by links Z loosely connected to theslides and levers, so that by depressing a lever the pair of slidemembers connected thereto will be moved,and when two pairs are moved theopenings therein will be brought into register, so as to expose to viewthe object at the point where the two intersecting slides cross eachother, the dotted circles indicating the location of the objects at thepoints of exposure, whether attached to the back plate or carried intosuch position by the slides, if placed in the openings of one set ofslides. The operating-lever in this form is illustrated as an arm Hsleeved to the fixed rod 1 and having hinged to its free end the shank mof the operating-key, as shown in Fig. 15. The arms of theoperating-levers will be held in their normal position by springs Kwhich may be of spring sheet metal, secured rigidly to the rod 1 asshown in Fig. 15. The top or face plate is removed from Fig. 1 1, andfor the purpose of spacing the top plate from the slides studs 92 maybeapplied at appropriate points. It will be observed that in this form theslide members are connected and moved in pairs, as in Fig. 9, but thatthe members of each pair are made separate from each other and that themembers move longitudinally instead of obliquely to their length, as isthe case in board for receiving the levers of the operating-keys. Ineach compartment J there is a fixed shaft I,which serves as the fulcrumfor the operating-keys. The operating-keys 1 to 5 are connected to thenecks a 6', 0'. d, and v1, respectively, and the keys 6'to 9 at theopposite end of the board are connected to the necks e, f, g, and 7t andthe key El to the neck respectively, A suitable form of lever forconnecting each key to its appropriate slide may be a sleeve H journaledso as to turn upon the rod 1' and having an arm H at one end which willconnect with the neck of its appropriate slide by its reduced end Z, andan arm H at its other end,which will be pivotally connected with theshank of its operating-key, so that when the key is depressed the slidewith which it is connected will be drawn toward the key. Each key willbe neck of its appropriate slide and also in the face-plate, so that thearm may have the proper swing in moving its slide, and the spacetraversed by the end of the arm in its swing may be covered by an archedportion F of the face- I plate, as illustrated. Now upon depressing anytwo of the keys the slides connected therewith will be moved so as toexpose to View the opening in the back board or what may be containedtherein at the point where said moved slides normally crossed eachother, and if it be the multiplication-table that is employed theproduct of the two members designated by the two depressed keys will beexposed to view at the point where the slides crossed each other. Thisform of the board is capable of all the varied uses of the first form ofthe invention described. It will be observed, however, from thismodified form of the invention that when any two keys on different edgesof the board are depressed the slides are moved from each other-that is,one toward one edge of the board and the other toward the oppositeedgewhereas in the first form described the slides are moved toward oneedge only of the board when two keys are depressed. This indicates thatthe principle is the same whether the slides be moved in the samedirection or in opposite directions. It may be remarked at this placethat it is not essential that the keys should all be arranged along oneedge nor in a single row nor in consecutive order numerically, as theprinciple of operation is the same whatever be the arrangement of thekeys. In this modified form of the invention the back board B may bemade sufiiciently thick as to permit a cavity or cavities to be madetherein edgewise into the board, so as to receive the buttons to be usedin connection with the board," a1 1d a hinged door K may be applied forclosin the cavities, so as to hold the buttons therein, as indicated inFig. 8.

In the two forms of the invention so fardescribed the board or backplate and the slides in their arrangement thereon are in the form of asquare; but the board and the arrangement of slides may be in atriangular form, as illustrated in Fig. 9 of the drawings. In this formof the invention the letter B designates the back board or plate, whichwill be formed with openings D as in the other forms, and will also beformed with slits C to receive bent 8o portions of the slides A so thatthe slides may be guided in their movement, and the slides will beactuated by operating-keys connected therewith, substantially as in thetwo forms of the invention already described, according as the boardwill be of the upright or of the first type, the extensions or necks (tb 0 C 2 e f g b d 1' being connected with the arms or levers of theoperating-keys so as to move the slides, in this instance all the slidesbeing movable toward the same edge of the board whether the board beupright or flat, and the result of moving the slides will be as in thefirst two forms described. It will be understood that the board or backplate will be provided with a face-plate having openings correspondingwith the openings in the back board or back plate; but the same is notillustrated in this figure, as it will be understood from theillustration given of the first two forms of the invention.

' Instead of having slides with their mem- I bers connected together inpairs, as in the three forms so far described, I may have each slide toconsist of only one member, in which case the operating-keys will beduplicated in number and in the numerals employed to designate the same,and with the slides formed to operate as thus indicated they may bearranged to operate either in the form of a square ora triangle. In Fig.10 I illustrate the slides formed to operate in the manner justmentioned and in this particular instance arranged in the form of asquare. In this form the slides are designated by the letter A and willhave bent portions fitting in the guiding-slits 0 formed in the backboard B and the operating-keys, which for purposes of illustration runfrom 1 to 7 only, are arranged in two sets along two adjacent edges ofthe board, one set along each of the two edges. One set of the keyswillbe connected with one set of the slides, and the other set of .keyswill be connected with the other set of slides. Each set of keys will belooselyjournaled upon a fixed shaft or rod I Fig. 12,

- and each key. will be connected with its apand I have illustrateddifferent types or forms of slides that may be used, but have not underall the forms of slides illustrated the different arrangement of slidesfor each form, because it will be obvious to the skilled mechanic how toplace the slides and connect them with the operating-keys to obtain thedifferent arrangement of slides under each one of the form of slidesillustrated, an illustration of the different arrangements under oneform of the slides having been given. It will be observed that under allof the different forms of slides and under the different arrangementswhich may be made of the different forms of slides the same principle ofoperation is involved. I have also illustrated and described a suitableform of key and manner of connecting the same with the slides foroperating the slides, but my invention in its scope is not confined tosuchdetails, as there may be many modifications made which will occur tothe skilled mechanic and which will be embraced within the spirit andscope of my invention.

From the illustrations and description given it will be obvious thatwhile the device can be used for amusement and also for educationalpurposes it is also obvious from the illustration given of the manner inwhich it is operated to ascertain the product of two numbers, onemultiplied by the other, that it is adapted for use as a computingdevice and is also capable of various modifications for carrying out onan enlarged scale the feature of computation. It is also obvious thatinstead of employing buttons or disks to fit in openings formed in theback plate or board to be exposed to view on moving any two slides thatthe object to be exposed may be imprinted or otherwise applied direct tothe back plate or board itself, so that when any two slides are movedsaid object will be exposed to view, the principle of operation of theslides being the same in either case.

lVhile there are various novel features involved in the invention, yetthere are certain features of novelty that are quite distinctive inthemselves and which can be used together or separately, as maybedesired, and an illustration of both of such uses are given. Forinstance, there is the feature of the slides or sliding members movablein lines oblique to their length or longitudinal axis by which a backboard or plate of comparatively smaller area is needed for a givenexposure in the movement of the sliding members. Again, by thescalloped-edge construction of sliding members or slides less area isrequired for the moving of the slides, for the reason that the convexedge of one slide will fitin the concave portion of the edge to theother slide, and consequent] y that much space saved when the two slidescome edge to edge.

Another distinctive feature in the preferred construction is in havingthe slides made up of two members connected in pairs and each slidecrossing all the other slides of the series. I have illustrated twomethods of connecting the slide members in pairs, in one of which theyare connected by necks with which the operating-levers are connected andin the other of which they are connected by links which have connectionwith the operating levers; These are given as the preferred forms ofconstruction of the slides, but other methods may be employed and. beembraced within this feature of the invention.

Having described my invention and set forth its merits, what I claimis 1. A device for educational, amusement and other purposes comprisinga number of slide members one crossing another and connected together inpairs and adapted upon movement of two slides to expose to view anobject at the point of intersection or crossing of the slides,substantially as described.

2. A device for educational, amusement and other purposes comprising anumber of slide members one crossing another and operating meansconnected with the slides to shift the position of the slides andpresent to view at the point of intersection or crossing of the slideswhich are moved an object at other times concealed from view, said slidemembers being connected together in pairs and each pair connected withthe operating means, substantially as described.

8. Adevice for educational, amusement and other purposes, comprisingslides one crossing another and arranged to move so that a point in anyslide moves obliquely to a line lying in the same plane with and drawnparallel to that part of the slide in which said point is located, andmeans whereby said slide may be moved, substantially as described.

4. Adevice for educational, amusement and other purposes, comprisingscalloped edge slides one crossing another and arranged to moveobliquely to a line lying in the same plane with and drawn parallel tothat part of the slide in which said point is located so as to expose toview an object otherwise concealed from view, and means whereby saidslides may be moved, substantially as described.

5. A device for educational, amusement and other purposes, comprisingslides arranged to have each of several slides cross all other slides,and means whereby said slides may be moved, substantially as described.

6. A device for educational, amusement and other purposes comprisingslides arranged to have each of at least three of such slides cross theother two of said three slides, and means whereby such slides may bemoved, substantially as described.

7. A device for educational, amusement and other purposes comprisingslide members one crossing another and connected together in pairs,operating means for shifting said slides, said means being numericallydesignated, and number-designating characters placed at the intersectionor crossing of the slides, said characters designating the product of atleast two numbers and arranged so that when any two of the operatingmeans are actuated there will be exposed to view at the point ofintersection or crossing of the slides actuated by said means theproduct of the numerals indicated by the operated means, substantiallyas described.

8. Adevice for educational, amusement and other purposes, comprisingslide members one crossing another, said members being connectedtogether in pairs and arranged to move in oblique lines to a line lyingin the same plane with and drawn parallel to that part of the slidemember in which said point is located, operating means for shifting saidslid es, said means being numerically designated, and number-designatingcharacters placed at the intersection or crossing of the slides, saidcharacters designating the product of at least two numbers and arrangedso that when any two of the operating means are actuated there will beexposed to view at the point of intersection or crossing of the slidesactuated by said means the product of the numerals indicated by theoperating means, substantially as described.

9. A device for educational, amusement and other purposes, comprising anumber of slides each one crossing all the others, means for shiftingsaid slides, the means for shifting some slides having a marking todistinguish the same from the means for shifting the other slides, andmarkings applied at the points of crossing or intersecting of theslides, said slides being arranged so that when any two are operatedthere will be exposed to view at the point of intersection or crossingof the slides actuated by said means the marking indicating the resultintended from the marl:- ings indicated by the operated shifting means,substantially as described.

ln testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM H. ROBERTSON.

Witnesses: a

M. B. SoHLnY, Gno. W. REA.

